From left: MEP Danuta Huebner, Prime Minister Donald Tusk and wife Malgorzata and Parliament Speaker Ewa Kopacz at campaign headquarters Sunday night: photo - PAP
The cenre-right Civic Platform received 32.8 percent of the vote nationwide, according to the exit poll by IPSOS, narrowly beating the more eurosceptic opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party into second place with 31.8 percent.
While the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) were in third place on 9.6 percent, the anti-EU 'New Right', under the leadership of the political maverick Janusz Korwin-Mikke, provided the major shock of the night when it gained 7.2 percent of the vote.
The Polish Peasants Party (PSL) were in fourth place on seven percent, according to the exit poll.
Turnout was 22.7 percent, two percentage points down on 2009.
During the last European parliamentary elections in 2009, Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Civic Platform won 44 percent of the vote, gaining half of the total seats.
'Important time'
PM Tusk thanked everyone who voted. “ It was not an easy campaign,” Tusk told supporters, “at a very important time for Poland and Europe”.
Opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski told a rally after the exit poll results were announced that Law and Justice's performance in the elections, “were a good basis for a further offensive to change Poland”.
Meanwhile, anti-EU and/or anti-immigration parties appear to have made significant gains in support in France, UK, Greece, Belgium and Austria, according to exit polls.
Turnout as a whole is estimated to be 43.11 percent through the four days of elections, starting in the UK and Netherlands on Thursday.
Poland has an allocation of 51 out of the 751 seats in the European Parliament, a body which votes for and against legislation proposed by the European Commission and Council and represents around 500 million citizens throughout the 28 member states.
Changes to the rules mean that the various voting blocs in the parliament can now put forward candidates for president of the European Commission, a position which Jose Manuel Barroso holds until July this year. (pg)
Former president of Poland Lech Wałęsa votes in Gdansk: photo - PAP/Adam Warżawa
President Bronisław Komorowski (left) with First Lady Anna, Sunday: photo - PAP/Jacek Turczyk
Prime minister Donald Tusk (centre) with wife Małgorzatą (left) and daughter Katarzyną go to the polling station during EP elections: photo - PAP/Adam Warżawa
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of Poland's largest opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) casts his vote in Warsaw Sunday afternoon: photo - PAP/Radek Pietruszka